ReefWaters' 220 Sun Room Reef
- Thread starter ReefWaters
- Start date
melev
Well-known member
If you are referring to the Photoshop edit, I have a tutorial on my Fotos page that shows it step by step with screen shots. It really isn't hard to learn, but it does add a few steps compared to 'auto' corrections. I prefer to fix it as needed rather than letting the program do it. If you need the direct link, I can PM it to you.
And with my new camera, sometimes the image looks better just the way it was taken, and I only resize and save for web.
ReefWaters
Premium Member
The room has two dedicated circuits. I'm not exactly sure what all is on the circuit that the lights are on, but I do know that it is dedicated to the fish room. So there cant be that much on it. All four ballasts however are connected to one DC4 (Direct Connect 4). I REALLY believe there is a short in one of two wires and/or one of two bulbs. I WILL find it! 
There is a small amount of splash on the reflectors but I wouldn't say anything out of the ordinary. I definitely don't think there is any corrosion in the end caps. A, I don't see any corrosion, and B, I have run 660's for years in closed hoods with the bare bones cheap cheap end caps from Home Depot and never had issues like this. This is very strange to me.
The ballasts are on the end of the rack. You can look back a few pages and see where they are mounted. There is NO splash on these.
melev... the Photoshop corrections make a HUGE difference. I've always had high aspirations of being a purist in my photography as well as my reefkeeping and not wanted to cut corners or edit my photos. However, I am beginning to realize that I will never get ANYTHING accomplished if I don't learn to cut some corners and take the easier route every once in a while.
I'll be heading over to your tutorial here shortly as well.
Rocketboy52....the "teeth" in the overflow is simply plastic egg crate (or light diffuser plastic) and is cut to fit smoothly in the "notch" that was cut in the glass. It is siliconed in place.
Here's a better pic.
If that doesnt help, Im sure you can find some good pictures if you search for other Aquarium Obsessed tanks.
My return pump is rated at 790 gph. So I'm "guessing" when I say I think I am getting between 650 and 700 gph through the overflow. Some of that water goes to the secondary sump and then back to the main sump. Some goes through the water change sump and the rest goes directly to the main sump. But no matter how you cut it, the sump flow through is whatever the pump is pumping. When I add the frag tank and fuge into the system, this will get a bit more complicated so I'll wait until then to explain that.
I know some people probably think this is not enough flow through but I have never understood the concept of having massive amounts of turnover through your sump. I find it to be a waste of energy and smaller pumps are a lot cheaper than larger ones.
The two display pumps are actually EcoTech VorTech Propeller pumps. I have them set to ramp up and down between 500 and 3000 gph. So at any given time, I have as much as 6700 gph in the display. I can probably live with this for a while but I will eventually add one more VorTech, but probably no more than 2 more, for a total of 4 VorTech pumps.
There is a small amount of splash on the reflectors but I wouldn't say anything out of the ordinary. I definitely don't think there is any corrosion in the end caps. A, I don't see any corrosion, and B, I have run 660's for years in closed hoods with the bare bones cheap cheap end caps from Home Depot and never had issues like this. This is very strange to me.
The ballasts are on the end of the rack. You can look back a few pages and see where they are mounted. There is NO splash on these.
melev... the Photoshop corrections make a HUGE difference. I've always had high aspirations of being a purist in my photography as well as my reefkeeping and not wanted to cut corners or edit my photos. However, I am beginning to realize that I will never get ANYTHING accomplished if I don't learn to cut some corners and take the easier route every once in a while.
I'll be heading over to your tutorial here shortly as well. Rocketboy52....the "teeth" in the overflow is simply plastic egg crate (or light diffuser plastic) and is cut to fit smoothly in the "notch" that was cut in the glass. It is siliconed in place.
Here's a better pic.
If that doesnt help, Im sure you can find some good pictures if you search for other Aquarium Obsessed tanks.
My return pump is rated at 790 gph. So I'm "guessing" when I say I think I am getting between 650 and 700 gph through the overflow. Some of that water goes to the secondary sump and then back to the main sump. Some goes through the water change sump and the rest goes directly to the main sump. But no matter how you cut it, the sump flow through is whatever the pump is pumping. When I add the frag tank and fuge into the system, this will get a bit more complicated so I'll wait until then to explain that.
I know some people probably think this is not enough flow through but I have never understood the concept of having massive amounts of turnover through your sump. I find it to be a waste of energy and smaller pumps are a lot cheaper than larger ones. The two display pumps are actually EcoTech VorTech Propeller pumps. I have them set to ramp up and down between 500 and 3000 gph. So at any given time, I have as much as 6700 gph in the display. I can probably live with this for a while but I will eventually add one more VorTech, but probably no more than 2 more, for a total of 4 VorTech pumps.
PaulieWalnuts
New member
i like that overflow!
ReefWaters
Premium Member
Thanks for the overflow comments guys. I have to say, having an external overflow is great! I don't HATE clutter in the tank but I do like to avoid it where possible. I wish I had done external wave boxes as well, but I don't think doubling the price of the tank would have been worth it. :lol:
Jonathan, I'm almost positive it is a DC4HD. It was only a few bucks more so I went with the HD. I'll double check the box when I get a chance.
Jonathan, I'm almost positive it is a DC4HD. It was only a few bucks more so I went with the HD. I'll double check the box when I get a chance.
ReefWaters
Premium Member
IceCap told me that the red and/or yellow circuit is what caused the failure.
ReefWaters
Premium Member
Well, as usual, not much has been happening with the tank. I decided a few weeks ago to do some bathroom renovations and that has taken up all of my free time.
As for the tank, it is very stable. The Kalk Reactor has been keeping the Alk and the Calcium rock solid by itself. But the PH is still a little low for my liking. I plan on adding some sand substrate to the bottom of the display so hopefully that will buffer the PH a little bit. Eventually....
....I will be adding the remote DSB/Fuge to the system as well and I hope that will solve all PH problems.
I still haven't fixed my ballast. :smokin: The corals dont seem to mind. Everything is growing nicely.
____________
Right now my biggest concern is humidity. I am currently running a stand alone de-humidifier unit from Home Depot. It is noisy, in the way, and NEVER shuts off. I was hoping to get some ideas and direction on my options for ventilating the room. I have seen many threads with an air exhaust (exhaust air from the room to outside the house) as well as a fresh air make up (bring fresh air from outside the house into the fish room). I have also seen them being controlled by a humidistat which I would really like to incorporate.
I have also seen expensive air exchangers (
http://www.rewci.com/faheenreve.html ) but the smallest unit is large enough for my entire house and I just feel like it is over kill for my 100 square foot fish room.
Any thoughts, ideas, links, etc, are greatly appreciated.
RW
As for the tank, it is very stable. The Kalk Reactor has been keeping the Alk and the Calcium rock solid by itself. But the PH is still a little low for my liking. I plan on adding some sand substrate to the bottom of the display so hopefully that will buffer the PH a little bit. Eventually....
....I will be adding the remote DSB/Fuge to the system as well and I hope that will solve all PH problems. I still haven't fixed my ballast. :smokin: The corals dont seem to mind. Everything is growing nicely.
____________
Right now my biggest concern is humidity. I am currently running a stand alone de-humidifier unit from Home Depot. It is noisy, in the way, and NEVER shuts off. I was hoping to get some ideas and direction on my options for ventilating the room. I have seen many threads with an air exhaust (exhaust air from the room to outside the house) as well as a fresh air make up (bring fresh air from outside the house into the fish room). I have also seen them being controlled by a humidistat which I would really like to incorporate.
I have also seen expensive air exchangers (
http://www.rewci.com/faheenreve.html ) but the smallest unit is large enough for my entire house and I just feel like it is over kill for my 100 square foot fish room.
Any thoughts, ideas, links, etc, are greatly appreciated.
RW
jnarowe
New member
I use a simple exhaust fan with a fresh air intake on a temp. control. Because I live in a high humidity area, trying to control it with a humidistat did not work, as it would cycle on and off constantly.
Works well but it is not perfect. I still have ocassional high humidity days, but overall, it's not too bad for a cheap setup.
Works well but it is not perfect. I still have ocassional high humidity days, but overall, it's not too bad for a cheap setup.
melev
Well-known member
I have a single bathroom fan in the ceiling of my fishroom that pulls out moist air and heat all the time. On very cold nights, I turn it off, but the rest of the time it is on. It is one Sone (sound measurement), and I have the output pointed out one of the Whirlybirds on my roof.
I'll PM you the link to the information.
I'll PM you the link to the information.
I am also using a bathroom exhaust fan running continuously. It has greatly decreased the amount heat and humidity in the fishroom and humidity circulating through the HVAC to other areas in the house. I have been able to turn off my small window air conditioner so it is a net improvement in energy consumption.
ReefWaters
Premium Member
Jonathan - can you explain the "fresh air intake" a little better? Is this a second duct pipe or a special type of fan? Also, what kind of temp control are you using? You're not running that off your Aqua Controller are you? Could you?
Brandon - That is a good point I had forgotten about. It would definitely be a good idea for me to run some kind of fresh air feed tube down to the skimmer while I'm doing all this work in the attic. It certainly cant hurt anything.
Marc - is your fish room isolated from the rest of the house air? In other words, is your fish room connected to the house A/C and supplemented by the window unit or is it air conditioned by the window unit ONLY? Was there any particular reason you didn't add a "fresh air" intake?
kingsland - how long has your tank been running? Have you noticed any problems with humidity or condensation in other parts of your house?
And finally.... :lol: ..... are any of you running a de-humidifier in addition to the vent fan? And do any of you ever get standing condensation in any part of your fish room and if so, do you just ignore it?
Brandon - That is a good point I had forgotten about. It would definitely be a good idea for me to run some kind of fresh air feed tube down to the skimmer while I'm doing all this work in the attic. It certainly cant hurt anything.
Marc - is your fish room isolated from the rest of the house air? In other words, is your fish room connected to the house A/C and supplemented by the window unit or is it air conditioned by the window unit ONLY? Was there any particular reason you didn't add a "fresh air" intake?
kingsland - how long has your tank been running? Have you noticed any problems with humidity or condensation in other parts of your house?
And finally.... :lol: ..... are any of you running a de-humidifier in addition to the vent fan? And do any of you ever get standing condensation in any part of your fish room and if so, do you just ignore it?
ReefWaters
Premium Member
OH!!! I thought of ANOTHER question!!!!! I wasn't sure if I was up to 20 yet!
What do you keep your fish room air temp at? Do you aim for that temp or does it just kind of settle in at that temp?
What do you keep your fish room air temp at? Do you aim for that temp or does it just kind of settle in at that temp?
melev
Well-known member
The fishroom is an area I took out of the garage. It is 6' x 7' x 8' and there is a door that leads to the garage, and another that leads into my kitchen.
Winter:
For fresh air and some natural cooling, I open the door to the garage about 2" all day, letting the heat out and cooler air in. At night, I close the door. The tank heaters keep the tank temperature stable.
Spring/Fall:
Fresh air and a nice breeze keep the fishroom temperature good enough that no a/c nor heat is needed. I usually have the doors open on both ends, and the garage door up a few inches. The windows and doors to the house are open as well, all day long. At night, the door to the garage is open.
Summer:
The fishroom stays closed up non-stop. The window a/c keeps the room cool all day and night. Without the vent fan, the fishroom was get soaking wet every night (because the compressor hardly cycled on all night long), shorting out electronics. When I added the vent fan, that made all the difference in that room.
My livingroom suffered from humidity issues a little, prior to the woodwork. I have a brushed aluminum clock on the opposing wall of that room, and discovered it had rust spots on the upper half when I took it down one day for cleaning. The livingroom still feels a little warmer than the rest of the house, and I'd attribute that to the tank and related humidity. The further you get away from the tank in my house, the colder the rooms feel. (That could be partly related to a couple of cheap windows that need replacing too though. )
The vent fan is a must. I would not, however, tie that room into the central A/C system because #1) the room would only be cooled when the house's thermostat registered the need, and would turn off too soon to help the fishroom sufficiently. And #2) The wet salty air would travel back via the ductwork into my A/C unit, causing damage as well as mold issues.
The window A/C has worked out beautifully. I keep the room at 76F all summer, and on the hot days in the winter (we have some nutty weather here in DFW), the temperature is set to 73/74. The room is comfortable to work in, and the tank ranges from 79 - 81F daily.
